Americans United last month filed a federal lawsuit designed to clean up some church-state problems at an Arizona charter school. As charter schools grow in popularity, this case could set a national precedent.

Remember, charter schools for the purposes of separation of church and state are public institutions. They are arms of the public school system and are funded by the taxpayers. They aren’t private schools, and they can’t engage in religious indoctrination.

“All things were created by God, therefore upon Him all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him they are equally responsible.”

That sentence appears in a required textbook used in the American Government class at Heritage Academy, a public charter school for seventh through twelfth graders with three campusus near Phoenix, Ariz.

Cleon Skousen had some unusual views about the origins of the Ameri­can republic.

According to Skousen, a former FBI agent and university professor who died in 2006, America’s founders modeled the nation on the tribes of ancient Israel. He also believed that the U.S. Constitution was anchored in the scriptures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and that only the Mormon faith could save America from destruction.